Carpet-stretcher



I (No Model.) I

E. P. PERSONS.

CARPET STRETGHER.

Patented- June 3, 1884.

Nv PETERS. Phowlikhognuhn. Wnhinglen. DJ;

Unrrnn STATES ATENT much.

ELIAS F. PERSONS, OF XVESTFIELD, NEV YORK.

CARPET-STRETCHER.

v SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 299,576, dated June3, 1884.

Application filed A ril 21,1884. (No model.)

1'0 aZZ whom, it may concern Be it known that I, ELIAS F. PERsoNs, acitizen of the United States, residing'at Westfield, in the county ofChautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Oarpet-Stretchers, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of acarpetstretcher constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 isan enlarged detail of the combined tack and staple guide in perspective.Fig. 3 is a cross-section, and Fig. at a longitudinal section, of thesame. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective of a portion of the combinedtack and staple feed-tube, and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the,principal elements of the tack feeding and driving mechanism.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to that class of carpet-stretchers which areprovided with means for feeding and driving tacks and staples, and meansfor retaining the carpet after being stretched, and for taking up theslack-leading edge or margin of the carpet and inserting tacks therein;and the invention consists in certain features of constructionhereinafter described, and specifically set forth in the claims.

A represents the main or handle lever, B the floor-lever, and C anysuitable connectingrod, pivotally secured to the floor-lever at c, andto the handle-lever at c. The hand-lever comprises the main bar A, ofwood or metal, as desired, bored centrally and longitudinally for thepassage therethrough of a rod, D, encircled by a coiled spring, (Z,resting against the bottom of an enlargement, d, of the bore in thehand-bar at its upper end, and against the under surface of the knob (1secured to the upper end of the rod D, the rod, spring, and knob formingthe means employed for the purpose of driving either tacks or staples,as hereinafter described.

E represents the combined tack and staple guide, which is secured bymeans of its perforated flanges e to the lower end of the handbar byscrews, rivets, or bolts, as desired.

in order that they may be inserted into the floor to give a firm hold orconnection of the lower end of the hand-bar therewith, and to beemployed in taking up the slack margin of the stretched carpet, ashereinafter described. The web e is enlarged midway between the flangesto form a tube, e, the opposite inner walls of which are grooved, as ate, in order that doublepointed tacks or staples may be fed in properposition for driving by riding in the grooves, and in order, at the sametime, that ordinary tacks may be passed within the bore of said tube,the upper portion of which also serves as a guide for the lower end ofthe driving-rod D.

F represents the feed-tube, the upper wall of which is slottedlongitudinally and centrally for the projection therethrough of thepoints of ordinary tacks, X, and is of a suitable width and bore orinternal depth to receive doublepointed tacks or staples Y, so that aseries of either may be placed within the tube in any suitable manner,in order that they may fall by gravity and turn within the curvedportion f in front of the lower end of thedrivingrod D, when, bystriking the palm of the hand upon the knob (2 a tack or staple may bedriven and the driving-rod withdrawn upwardly by the spring (I. I

The foot or floor lever B is provided at its front end with a series ofspurs, b, projecting downwardly from its lower surface, and slightlycurved, so as to take a firm hold upon the carpet. Its rear end isprovided with a stir rup, 12, into which the foot of the operator may beinserted, and in front of the stirrup is a spring, I), the naturaltendency of which is to assume an elevated position at its free end,which is provided with a spur, b, and when the spring is depressed byplacing the foot upon it said spur is passed through an aperture in thelever and forced through the carpet into the floolythis operation takingplace after the foot-lever has been elevated at its outer end, as shownin dotted lines in Fig. 1. "When so elevated, pressure is applied at thestirrup end, while the hand-lever is held firmly IOO the floor-leverreaches the floor, the toe of the operator is pressed upon thespring-spur and it is forced into the floor, thus retaining the ioot-leverin position. The hand-lever is then oscillated on the pivot cto the position shown in dotted lines, and the points 0 are insertedinto the carpet Z at its edge, and the handle is again brought to theposition shown in full lines, thereby taking up the slack margin of thecarpet, and the tack or staple is driven, as hcreinbefore described.

If desired, the margin of the carpet may be provided with eyelets, andthe staples may be driven along the edges of the floor, and a cord orother suitable lacing may be employed to fasten the carpet to the floor,in which case the stretcher is used, as described, simply for thepurpose of stretching the carpet, as is usual. The slack portionremaining after the floor lever is fastened is taken up in the act oflacing the same by passing a cord from the staple through an eyelet and toa staple and back to another eyelet, and so on continuously about theroom.

Thefoot-lever 13 is provided at its inner end with a metal casting,B,which forms a T-head, theunder side of which is provided with spursb,wl1ich are adapted to catch in the carpet,and thus take up the slack,as shown in Fig. 1.

The casting may be flat or have the raised portion I), forming a socketfor the reception of the end of the foot-lever 13, to which it may besecured in any suitable manner, thus giving the stretcher a rigid head,which is less liable to be sprung or wrenched loose.

Having described my invention and its operation, What I claim is 1. Thecombination, with the hand-lever A, of the connecting-rod C and thefoot-lever 13, provided with the spurs b, stirrup I), and spring-spurI)", substantially as specified.

2. Thehand-lever A, provided with the driving-rod D, having the knob dspring (I, and the end casting, E, having the pointed flanges c and thecentral internally-grooved tube, 0", substantially as specified.

3. The OOlllbilliLtlOll,Wlth the hand-lever A,

of the casting E, provided with the internallygrooved tubular portion,the driving-rod l), and the central and longitudinally slotted andcurved feed-tube, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the hand-lever A, connecting-rod O, foot-lever B,having the stirrup band spurs Z) Z), the longitudinally-s]ottcd feedtubcF, and the driving-bar D, the whole constructed and arranged andoperating substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination of the hand-lever A, connecting-rod O, and foot-lever13, having the metallic T-head casting B, provided with spurs,substantially as specified.

G. The casting B, with spurs cast or otherwise secured thereto, andhaving the bent pol tion 13', in combination with the lever 13, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELIAS F. PERSONS.

\Vitnesses:

.Tnnonr. LA. Den, Evnox FENNER.

